The effects of training a school team in the use of the Participation Assessment Framework and barrier-specific interventions (including but not limited to technology applications) on the participation of a student during literacy and math activities were evaluated using a multiple probe design across instructional formats. Participants included a multi-disciplinary school team, and a 10-year old student with cerebral palsy and no functional speech supported by this team. Training consisted of a combination of adult learning strategies including workshops, modeling, practice in simulated and real settings, feedback, and coaching during actual practice. The results of this preliminary study provide suggestive evidence that this systematic training was not only effective in increasing participation, but also is perceived as useful and effective by the training recipients. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for future research.
Inclusive education—based on the premise of social justice—advocates equal ac-cess to educational opportunities for all students. This research provides insight into the inclusive experiences of school principals in a Canadian rural school dis-trict through quantitative and qualitative inquiries. A survey was administered to 16 school administrators, and following initial data analysis, individual inter-views with four school principals were carried out as part of a multi-perspective case study of students with special needs. Overall, inclusion was viewed in a posi-tive light and extended beyond classroom placement to meeting the needs of diverse groups of students within the regular classroom. The responsibilities and strategies of the principals that support inclusion are outlined and other factors that contribute to effective inclusion identified. Key factors include collaboration among key players in the students’ education and opportunities for professional development. The results have implications for school leadership preparation and professional development of school administrators.
This paper reports on a teaching innovation where groups of experienced and novice teachers collaborated in analyzing case studies involving the education of students with special learning needs. The teachers collaborated in an asynchronous computer conferencing system (Web Knowledge Forum). All participants were enrolled in special education graduate courses taught by the authors. The authors discuss the use of case studies in teacher education, collaboration between novice and expert teachers, and highlight some of the demands of computer conferencing particularly in relation to the loss of face-to-face interactions and the interpretive demands of electronic communication.
This paper describes the results of a one-year intervention project that aimed to (a) learn about the communication supports required by people who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) when accessing their communities, (b) develop and implement a funded communication assistant service as an accessibility support option for people who use AAC when communicating in their communities, (c) evaluate the impact of the communication assistant service on community access for people who use AAC, and (d) make recommendations relating to the role of communication assistants as an option for increasing communication access for people who use AAC in their communities. Nine people who use AAC participated in this project. The findings suggest that the majority of participants experienced a range of communication barriers when communicating with people in their communities, and that the provision of trained communication assistants significantly increased (a) their ability to communicate and participate in their communities; (b) their feelings of dignity, empowerment, autonomy, and privacy, and (d) the quality of their community services. Unfamiliar communication partners reported increased satisfaction communicating with people who used AAC when a communication assistant was present. Implications and recommendations are made for the development of communication assistant services and further research.
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